Sunday Morning Preserving - Updated with results after a week of preserving

Sunday morning. Late Sunday morning / early afternoon actually. It paints a more enthusiastic picture of my approach to life to say Sunday morning. I had half a bag of green beans in the refrigerator and a few of the world's most harshly criticised vegetable the brussel sprout leftover from the week's cooking. I have noticed of late that there is quite a bit of hype around the preserving of foods and the positive impact those foods can have on gut health. I have read that Doctors are starting to take a more holistic approach to medicine and the health of the gut can have massive impact on the overall health and well-being of the individual. So with that in mind and also the general less waste is better for the world at large and better for my bank balance as well I thought it would be great to give vegetable preserving a go. As a Chef the medical opinions above come free of charge and with very little actual knowledge of the medicine involved. 

So moving on to the fun. Since this is a first time attempt at this for me I am keeping it simple. I am using just salt, water and the vegetables that are on hand. If I can get the basics right then maybe down the track I will get a bit more expansive.

The basic formula for preserving is this: vegetables + water + salt at a ratio of 2.5% of the combined weight of the vegetables and water = preserved vegetables after waiting for between 4 days minimum and up to 4 weeks keeping at a temperature between around 15 to 25 degrees. From there tighten the lid and store in the Fridge to use as required. 

Step 1. First thing on the agenda is to wash jars and sterilise them in hot water. If you have a dishwasher this is simple. Pop them into the dishwasher and you are good to go. If you are like me and don't own a dishwasher then simply wash the jars in soapy water and rinse and soak in boiled water from your kettle to complete the sterilisation. Don't dry with a tea-towel as they contain bacteria which could undo all your good work. Let the air do the job. 

Step 2. Cut and wash the vegetables. So for the beans I topped and tailed them and then double washed them. The Brussel sprouts were cut in half through the root and then washed. 

Step 3. Load the jar or jars with the vegetables until almost full. Oops!! Forgot one thing. Prior to loading up the jar, put it onto your digital scales and zero the scales so that you can weigh the vegetables. Fill the jar with water until the vegetables are totally submerged. 

Step 4. Now for the very simple multiplication. Take the total weight of the beans or brussel sprouts and the water. Then simply multiply by 2.5% or 0.025 and you have the amount of salt you need to add. So if you have 489 grams of water and beans as I did in the second of my jars you simply need to pull out you mobile phone and using the calculator type in 489 x 0.025 which will give you the answer 12.225 grams. 

Step 5. Pour most of the water into a separate jar. Add that jar to the scales and add in the 12 or 13 grams of salt. If your scales are like mine they probably only measure whole numbers so 12 or 13 grams will be perfect for the preserving to be activated. 

Step 6. Put a lid on the jar which now contains only salt and water. Shake vigorously until the salt is dissolved. If you don't shake well enough then you'll lose some of the salt in the bottom of your jar.

Step 7. Add the salt solution back into the jar with the vegetables and put something over them to keep them submerged but also allow the CO₂ to escape into the air. I have put a small amount of cling-wrap on the top of the jar, under where the lid would screw on and gently pushed it down to submerge the top layer of beans or sprouts. I have now placed the lids on the jars but not screwed them on. This will allow the reactions to take place without bursting the jars. (I hope) Finally Label your jars with the date that you started the preserve so that it will be easy to keep track. 

Well, what can I say. The process is cheap and easy. Better than cheap, it saves on wastage. I will be updating this page with photos each day as the process continues. Fingers crossed in four days time we will have some preserves that are a great little healthy snack or even a welcome addition to a garden salad. Until next time, happy cooking!!!

Results

Yay, success. It is Saturday morning and I have just munched on a few green beans and a couple of brussel sprouts and I they were both great. The Brussel sprouts are definitely my favourite. I think that by cutting the sprouts in half I have allowed for penetration by the salt and it has given a greater tangy flavour. The beans are still nice and crisp and will be a great little healthy snack or a crisp tangy addition to a salad. All in all I would have to say it has been a win. Next job Sauerkraut!!!!